The popular river permit party and fundraiser for the Dolores River Boating Advocates will move online this year because of the pandemic.
The live telethon style event will be held Jan. 27-29 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. each night. It will be broadcast live through Zoom and the DRBA Facebook page.
“There’s a lot going on. We will have presenters, music, and films — a lot of variety,” said Alana Bond, DRBA program and outreach coordinator. “We’re excited because the content goes beyond just whitewater boating; it also is about the human connections and communities rivers support.”
To register for the permit party event, go to: bit.ly/3i42UkP. There is a suggested $10 donation for the event.
The online auction for boating gear and local goods will run from Jan. 18-29. The auction can be accessed at: www.auctria.com/auction/doloresriverboating
Auction items include locally made pack rafts, a raft frame, stand-up boards, boating gear, local artworks, gift certificates and much more.
Instead of the usual river permit party at the Dolores Community Center, boaters and river lovers can tune in from home to view boating videos, local river updates, science reports, river permit information, outdoor adventure films, presentations and door prizes.
On Jan. 29, the event will be livestreamed at a watch party on the Dolores River Brewery outdoor patio, and a portion of the sales will go toward DRBA. On Jan. 28, a portion of sales at Fenceline Cidery also will go to the river group.
The event includes DRBA’s first boating video contest. Seven clips have been submitted so far, Bond said, and “they show a lot of action to get us excited for the upcoming river season.”
Local emcees will present the events and offer commentary, including Josh Munson, Tom Yoder, Peter Ortego, Andy Hutchinson and Cody Perry.
Each evening, various river topics will be discussed and presented. There will be audience participation through the comment portal, and there will be some audience polls on river-related topics.
On Jan. 27, the title is “We Are Water: Human Connections to the Dolores.” DRBA Executive Director Amber Clark will present updates on the organization. The session will feature special guests and films on human history in the Dolores River Valley. Mark Varian, an archaeologist with Crow Canyon, will give a talk about the Ancestral Puebloan history of the area.On Jan. 28, the theme is “Underneath the Current: What we can learn from Rivers.” Special guest Mike Dehoff will discuss the rapids of Cataract Canyon and river science, and Rica Fulton of Rivers Edge West also will give a talk. On Jan. 29, the theme is “High Water and Good Times: Adventure on the Dolores.” Winning clips from the first boating video contest will be shown. Also, special guests will talk about historic river trips on the Dolores and Colorado Rivers. Local bluegrass band Last Nickel will present an online performance.Registration gives access to all three nights of “Permit Party Palooza,” and registered viewers will be in the running for the door prizes.
The fundraiser helps keep DRBA programs going. The organization focuses on river stewardship and restoration, monitoring boating conditions on the Dolores River above and below the dam, outreach and education. They sponsor river trips for area youth, and partner with water managers to promote downstream ecology, and work to manage practical whitewater boating releases below McPhee Dam.
“Like many other groups, our funding has been cut in 2021, but we are pushing forward and appreciate all the support we have had from the community,” Bond said. “We’re excited to be building up our youth programs this year, and will continue river stewardship efforts.”
To register and for more information, go to www.doloresriverboating.org